Perhaps the worst downside of traveling is having limited access to some cleaning items apart from your hand sanitizer, wet wipes and tissue roll. It becomes a bigger concern when you are accustomed to certain brands or variants of cleaning products that are not found in the hotel where you would be staying at. Now how else can you keep yourself clean even if you’re staying somewhere else.

1. Have access to vinegar.

Sometimes it is in packets and sometimes it is found in little bottles in Asian-themed restaurants found within the hotel’s vicinity. Asians have become identified with this liquid not only because of their food but because it is an effective cleaning agent too. But since you are at a hotel, having a packet and some tissue found in your hotel bathroom are all you need to help you keep your shoes clean. It is an effective alternative to a shoe cleaning kit when you are away from home.

2. Have a Ziploc bag for the toiletries

Bringing your own toiletries as opposed to using the items found in your hotel room is unavoidable especially if only certain brands work on your skin and you’re being specific with the kind of toothpaste that you use. But don’t put them in the pouch unless you’re ready for the spillage. Having them in a Ziploc bag instead will at least minimize the spillage within the plastic bag. No stain on your clothes, no pain for your washer.

3. Have the travel-size laundry detergent.

Laundry detergent manufacturers have sold in supermarkets their products in travel-size, and many apartment cleaning staff use such products and containers, as they’re often the size of your palm, making it the ideal size for travel. Just pour on a basin of water (or on the sink with the stopper), soak some clothes like lingerie for half an hour and it is ready to rinse.

4. Have a stain remover pen.

For some, it may sound a little obsessive-compulsive. But having a stain remover pen works when you have stained clothes and have little time in between packing and your next flight. So instead of letting the stain dry up on your shirt or dress, having it pre-treated with the stain remover pen avoids the stain from sinking deep enough into the cloth and make it hard for you to wash later at home. This also works if you don’t have time to soak clothes in the sink because you don’t have any travel-size detergent on hand.

5. Have alcohol wipes.

Alcohol wipes often come handy when you don’t have a hand sanitizer. Then again, some will opt to use this when there is not enough time to go to the plane’s washroom in the middle of the flight and you need to eat. Instantly wipe off the hands and enjoy lunch. A box of alcohol wipes also comes handy when dropping by your hotel room to wipe the remote control before using.

6. Have extra plastic bags in store for the used clothes.

There are hotels that provide you with a laundry bag whether you let them wash your clothes or not. Probably not if you chose to bring the detergent. On the other hand, for clothes that got treated with the stain remover pen and other clothes that got used, there should be an extra plastic bag to separate them from the rest of your unused clothes. You need to keep your suitcase at least compartmentalized especially when you don’t want to mistake one shirt as “unused”.

As you may have noticed, most of the tips focused on what is safe to take with you without worrying about extra baggage and what can be found in your hotel. Also, some of these tips are almost second nature to apartment cleaning techniques that you may have done upon coming home. So having some of those cleaning habits taken to your home away from home helps a lot in keeping you clean even if you are someplace else.

Spain. That area you’ve been sent to in case you need to learn the “Castellano” approach of learning Spanish and discover later to be peppered with classic architecture and sumptuous cuisine. There might be a handful of restaurants found in the Bay Area catering to the Spanish cuisine-loving crowd. But it still pays, literally and figuratively, to get this side of the Iberian peninsula yourself to get a taste of the place. And it usually starts with checking out which places to stay among major cities found here.

Catalonia Atocha Hotel

A friend working as a carpet cleaner in Chula Vista told me about the eye-catching parquet flooring found in this hotel. Found in central Madrid, some travelers coming in from other areas in Europe would easily find this hotel since it is just about 500 meters away from the Atocha Railway Station. So if your itinerary would include that railway station regardless of whether you’re traveling directly from the US or from another European country, as long as you have a landmark as easy to spot as the Atocha Railway Station, then you’re good to go. The interiors are mostly laced with the contemporary design though. So not too nearly and still relatable. It served as a nice prelude to your travel in the capital city of Madrid.

TRYP Madrid Atocha Hotel

Since Atocha is often pitched as the heart of Madrid when it comes to Spanish tourism, some travel agents make it a point to include TRYP Madrid Atocha Hotel in the itinerary. It is the same carpet cleaner from Chula Vista that gave this crucial tidbit since it’s the other hotel that gets booked quicker. So slots are hard to come by. Why? With a hotel that is just within the proximity of topnotch, high-profile museums like Thyssen, Prado and the Reina Sofia, it is the best hotel to stay for art enthusiasts. Other tourists love how close this hotel is to other tourist hotspots like the Royal Palace and Paseo de la Castellana that it is practically reachable by foot.

Olivia Plaza Hotel

This is one of the hotels in the city of Barcelona that is easiest to locate since it is basically right next to Hard Rock Cafe. It might have been its best landmark so far in order to guide tourists – local and foreign alike – to the nearest shopping havens like Las Ramblas and other joints. People book a room here for a night or two hoping to get the view of Plaza Catalunya and, perhaps its best architectural contribution to Spanish tourism so far, the Gothic Church of Santa Ana. Such views served as a pleasant contrast to the contemporary-styled interiors apart from the comfortable rooms with which you can stay for the weekend.

Finding the right place to stay in your Spanish-themed getaway usually starts in where would you like to explore first. It may be a given that Madrid is the default starting point as 2 out of 3 hotels mentioned here are located there. So getting in touch with your favorite travel agent and suggesting these hotels to be included in your itinerary helps in gaining an early foothold in exploring this side of Europe. And you’d have a heck of fun doing it. Have a happy journey ahead.

Tourism is all about beautiful places and amazing people and you have them everywhere you turn to in Europe. While you might plan to want to plan your trip along the wonderful location and sites you can visit, another lovely angle to explore is the to target some major events and festivals all around Europe and enjoy a feeling of the culture and people of the continent. Here are some of Europe’s finest festivals and events:

Carnival of Venice

This yearly event which takes place six weeks before the Catholic lent parades a fabulous display of beautiful costumes, masks, and dress-ups by both tourist and residents. Floating city’s largest festival features street parades, masked balls, and theatrical events on the waterways.

Saint Patrick’s day

The feast which is a celebration of the passing of one of Ireland’s patron saints is an important Irish holiday featuring leprechauns, shamrocks, parades, and concerts. Also known as St. Paddy’s day or Lá Fhéile Pádraig it offers remarkable fun for tourists whose visit to Ireland coincides with it.

Keukenhof

You’ve seen flowers but never like this. Amsterdam’s tulips festival also called ‘Garden of Europe’. Features not less than 500 flower growers from all over Europe who come to show off their collections of beautiful flowers over a period of 8 weeks. More than 200 hectares of sweet-smelling beauty awaits you in the Netherlands.

Fiesta de San Isidro

A springtime delight, Fiesta de San Isidro celebrates San Isidro, Madrid’s the patron. All of Madrid comes alive Each year in citywide festivals that feature large cabezudos procession, dance concerts, theaters and music festivals. This celebration can be added to your vacation plans for next spring.

Sanfermines

From Spain again comes this one week-long festival. Pamplona hosts all of Spain in this big festival in honor of Saint Fermín Europe’s premier bishop held on the 7th of July every year. There is so much adrenaline in the air as men and women dressed in white, run for their lives after touching the bulls the event also features bullfights, fireworks, flamenco bands, fairs, and parades.

Sziget Festival

This is most like the biggest celebration of culture and music in Europe! The weeklong festival draws fans and performers from more than 100 European countries. More than 1000 artists and up to five hundred thousand people beseech the island of old Buda in Budapest for the treat of a lifetime on freedom Island, Budapest Hungary

Advent Markets:

For a touch of something unique and extraordinary this Christmas, you should check out Vienna’s Christmas markets. More than 20 official markets across various locations such as the Belvedere Palace, city hall and Maria-Thresian Platz selling a variety of seasonal gifts and traditional treats for everyone. Rather than settle for a regular Christmas give yourself an Austrian Christmas next holiday season.

Europe is one of the most culturally diverse continents on the planets and you will find a large number of celebrations events and festivals that will make your next vacation trip a blast.

Sometimes you want to hit the road and go and a trip to the numerous places of your dreams. Most often than not, however, when you discover how much that journey would take out of your bank account, you change your mind. But you don’t have to cancel your tourism trip entirely. There are some interesting places you can explore even with a low budget that will still give you that feeling of thrill and bliss that you desire. Here are some of them:

Thailand

Get everything you want in a tourist destination at a price that doesn’t break your pocket. Experience rich culture, tantalizing cuisine and great adventures backpacking through Thailand at a ridiculously low price.

South Africa

Get a feel of the rich African culture in Cape Town South Africa and take a safari to explore the abundant wildlife of the region without encountering any budget-breaking bills.

Vietnam

Vietnam is popular for the American war, what you didn’t know perhaps is that The country has a remarkably attractive countryside, from the limestone karsts mountains in the north to the pristine waterways of the Mekong Delta, as well as beautiful beaches. You will also get to enjoy one of the best meals of your life all at a very cheap cost.

Cuba

The Caribbean islands are one of those places to enjoy a blissful vacation without worrying so much about exorbitant expenses. Dance to the beautiful tunes of salsa, joint the Santiago carnival and spend your days warming up at the Varadero beach.

Prague, Czech Republic

Prague remains one of the cheapest Capital cities in Europe. For tourists in Prague, a few Czech Crowns will get you a hearty meal, with a taste of the local beer. The city itself opens up to you in all its glorious beauty and rich of history without demanding too much from your purse.

Guatemala:

This beautiful central America city offers a blend of natural, enchanting beauty and amazing Maya traditions together with colonial legacies. Prices are completely down to Rock-bottom which makes it a perfect exploration for tourists who wants to enjoy the best of both worlds at an affordable fee.

India

India is a great destination for low budget travelers you get to explore the whole country and eat so well for so little. From the beautiful beaches of the temple town of Gokarna; to enjoying the kebabs of Mumbai’s street stalls; you also get to experience first-hand the rich culture of the Indian people.

Lao

It’s hard not to be enchanted by the beauty of Loa. The city is a budget-friendly destination. You can check into a small hotel at just a token and explore the riverside watching the boats as they travel up and down the Nong Khiaw river.

The list is not limited to this; there is an incredible number of tourist destinations you can plan to visit even on a stringent budget and still enjoy a trip of a lifetime!

Some health buffs apparently have a good reason to get some sun – Vitamin D. When you thought some folks would simply get some tan by the seashore for kicks, a few apparently are trying to get some of this so-called “sunshine vitamin” too. And medical professionals like the Rush University Medical Center’s resident oncologist, Howard Kaufman, and Harvard School of Public Health’s chair of the nutrition department, Walter Willett, told the Endless Vacation magazine1 various ways with which this can be earned.

Make sure you don’t have a history of skin cancer.

Skin cancer is better known by its other name melanoma. It may have been familiar to you since it’s the skin disease some folks end up getting after getting too much some sun. That and chances are they have a family history of melanoma that you may have overlooked in your medical history. Not that the sun is the primary source of this skin disease. But you can’t count it out either as a factor once melanoma pops out of your skin. So if sun exposure is unavoidable, the next best solution is minimizing time under the sun, according to Willett.

Include edible sources of the sunshine vitamin.

Vitamin D is found in eggs, a few selected bowls of cereal and milk. The best sources for high amounts of Vitamin D though come from sardines, herring, and salmon to name a few types of fish rich in oil. Having any of these fishes on a daily basis will help you reach the recommended intake of 600 international units of the sunshine vitamin per day.

Get protected.

Yes, get your sunscreen. You’re hitting the beach so the sunscreen better hits your skin as well. But since the jury is still out on whether certain sunscreen brands block the Vitamin D absorption while out in the sun, having long-sleeved tops preferably made of cotton should be worn when hiking. This might also explain the slight trending of spandex tops since beach bums would still want to enjoy taking a dip in the beach without having to worry about sunburn. Even some surfers wear it with their dolphin shorts to protect their skin.

Know when too much is too much.

Because this is the sun that you are exposing yourself to. And it has resulted to dry skin and wrinkling. The worst that the sun can do is dry up your skin to crack it. Creepy. But an avoidable problem when you have an umbrella ready to cover you in case you’re not that close to the shade as you walk your way to the hotel reception area.

South Korea. This isn’t one of the most popular countries to visit. However, there are so many interesting things about Korea that is making the country fascinating and even shocking. You might consider South Korea as your next holiday destination, but because you don’t know everything there is to know about this country, people are hesitant to make the bookings to South Korea. These are some interesting, but also shocking facts about South Korea that you might not have known.

Men are using more makeup there than a woman

This is the top shocking fact about South Korea. The men there are using makeup. Not just the normal face wash and treatments. But, really using makeup, as women in most countries.

The fact is that they are using more makeup than the woman om South Korea. There this is nothing for a man to wear makeup to work or for dinner parties. However, this is something that you will not find in any of the other countries of the world.

Cosmetic surgeries are an everyday occurrence

Statistics have shown that South Korea is the one country where the most cosmetic surgeries are getting done. There aren’t many people that are walking around in this country, that doesn’t have some sort of cosmetic surgery done.

However, this doesn’t mean that this is a place to consider getting your cosmetic surgery done. There are places that are more trustworthy and where you are going to get the guarantee that your surgery is going to be a success.

There more than 90% of the people are using the internet

Yes, most of us are using the internet these days. However, this is mostly for browsing or for buying online products. However, South Korea is one of the countries that have the most internet users in the world. They are working in front of computers and they are using computers for everything.

The things that might be wondering about, about the internet, is something that the South Koreans have forgotten already.

This isn’t just a country of buildings and large popularity. There are some great nature scenes as well

When you are thinking about South Korea, the first thing that came to mind is the fact that this is a populated country where everything is just buildings and a fast paced life.

However, this isn’t the truth. There are some places in the country that are still just fields of natural plants and flowers. Making a great scene to see when you are going out of the city to the countryside. Many people are amazed about what the countryside in South Korea is looking like.

South Korea. Not many consider this as a top tourist country. However, there are some shocking facts that might just let you change your mind and visiting this great country. This is a country that is a lot more interesting than what people might think.